It's common to think of tools as implements to cut, drill or shape material--or perhaps to drive fasteners. But another important class of tools is used to support whatever you are working on. One of the most versatile and simple-to-build work supports is the sawhorse. It can be used either singly or in pairs to support material for cutting or assembly, and you can place a heavy plank between two to form a scaffold.

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Our sawhorse design is sturdy and versatile. It provides a wide work surface, and the legs are angled in two directions to provide stability. If you find our dimensions don't suit your needs, modify them to your liking. We used select-grade 5/4 x 8 pine for our horses, a readily available material. We ripped the lumber to width for the sawhorse legs.

Download an animated walk through and full printable plans of this project (PDF, 1MB).

The Plans

Tools and Hardware

Wood: We built our sawhorses from a reasonably nice grade of 5/4 lumber, but construction-grade lumber and plywood would also work. Either way, let the lumber dry indoors for a couple of weeks before starting to build the project.

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BASIC TOOLS

HARDWARE AND SUPPLIES

* Saber saw

* Handsaw

* Drill

* Drill bits

* Drive bit to match screws

* 3/4-in. chisel

* Hammer

* Block plane

* Angle gauge

* 5/4 lumber

* 2 1/2-in. No. 8 woodscrews

* Sandpaper to round corners

Download an animated walk through and full printable plans of this project (PDF, 1MB).

Crosscutting and Ripping

Yoko Inoue

Begin by crosscutting stock to rough length. While you can make these cuts freehand, you can also create a simple crosscutting guide to ensure square cuts. Measure the distance from the edge of the saw foot to the saw blade, then clamp a speed square to the workpiece that distance from your desired cutline. As you make the cut, keep the edge of the saw foot against the square [ 1 ]. Mark a line down the center of each piece of 54 x 8 material, then use a saber saw to rip each piece into two blanks [ 2 ].

Layout and Notching

Yoko Inoue

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Mark the locations of the leg notches on the sawhorse top [ 3 ]. Use a square to mark the cutlines on the top of each piece. Note that the depth of cut is 1 in. on the top of the piece, but it's only 1932 in. on the bottom face (because of the 20-degree bevel). Use an angle gauge to mark the 10-degree cut angle on the edges of the top panels, then extend the lines on the bottom face [ 4 ]. Make the angled cuts at the ends of the leg notches with a handsaw [ 5 ]. Use a sharp chisel to chop out the waste in each leg notch [ 6 ]. Gradually work toward the layout lines on top and bottom faces of the stock. As you approach the lines, work the chisel by hand, using a paring motion to refine the angle and flatten the notch face so the leg will seat firmly.

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Shaping Legs

Yoko Inoue

Since the legs are angled in two directions, their edges must be slightly beveled to fit into their notches (see plan). Use a sharp block plane to cut the bevels [ 7 ]. Note: Because the legs are tapered toward the bottom ends, it is not necessary to cut the bevels down the entire length of each leg. Lay out the compound angle/bevel cuts for the top and bottom ends of the sawhorse legs using an angle gauge. Set the saber-saw blade to a bevel angle of 20 degrees to make the cuts [ 8 ]. Mark the tapers on the legs and reset the saber-saw blade to 90 degrees to cut the legs to shape.

Assembly

Yoko Inoue

Hold each leg in its notch to drill pilot holes [ 9 ]. Then, countersink each pilot hole before driving the screws to fasten the leg. Next, set the saber saw to 10 degrees and rip bevels on the top and bottom edges of the gussets. Bore and countersink pilot holes in the gussets and fasten them to the inner leg edges [ 10 ]. Also drive screws through the top into the gussets to strengthen the assembly.

Faster Horses

You can eliminate potentially tricky cuts by building one of these sawhorses. The rugged version (left), with legs splayed at 20 degrees, is best suited for house construction. The hinged lightweight model next to it is less a sawhorse than a work support that keeps trim and wood pieces supported for painting or staining.